Reproductive growth is less sensitive to water deficit than vegetative growth. For this purpose, the main aim of this study is to find out the effects of early water deficits on vegetative and generative development of Merlot/SO4 grapevines. This research was carried out in ECOTRON System, Montpellier - SupAgro/INRA, 03°51'22'' E and 43°37'04'' N and 40 m altitude. The stressed period was started in the 17th E-L stage on the second week of May and stopped in 27th E-L stages on the second week of June. Four stress groups were established which were; well watered WS0 as a control (4 L day-1), second was WS1 (3 L day-1) third was WS2 (2 L day-1) and the fourth was WS3 (1 L day-1) respectively. A randomized complete block design was used and treatments were compared using LSD test to determine the significant differences. In water deficit treatments yellowing of the leaves and partial leaf fall at the shoot bases were observed at WS2 and WS3plants. Final measurements of shoot lengths showed about 60 cm differences between control and stressed grapevines. Shoot elongation was suppressed linearly to increase water deficit. When the average cluster weights and yield per vine in the control were compared with WS3 about 50% reduction was found. It can be stated that the most sensitive period was between 17th and 27th Eichhorn and Lorenz phenological stages which negatively affect the yield of Merlot cv.

 Key words: Merlot, early water deficit, growth, cluster weight, shoot elongation.


This data is the Type I and Type II Leontief inverse matrices which is core of the input-output multiplier tool that is employed in the EPRSC funded 'Hydrogen Fuel Cell Supergen hub' project: The Economic Impact of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the UK to model conceivable impacts on output, wage income, employment and value added (GDP) throughout UK supply chains in scaled scenario analyses. The use of the input-output tool facilitates policy understanding of the supply chain impacts of HFC scenarios. It also permits a preliminary assessment of how well-positioned UK supply chain capacity currently is to capture a share of global activity for hydrogen and fuel cell activity.The central multiplier measure is the output multiplier for any given industry, X,which tells us the amount of output (generally reported in £million) that is generated throughout the economy (across all industries) per £1million of final consumption demand for industry X's output. What is known as the Type I variant of this multiplier captures (a) the direct effect of the £1million of final demand plus (b) indirect effects in the industry's up-stream supply chain. The Type II variant also incorporates (c) the additional, induced, impacts of household consumption financed through wage income from employment in industrial production.


Based on 150 seats BWB civil aircraft, an aluminum triple-bubble cabin model are built. By large deformation analysis, the triple-bubble cabin is indicated the bending stress theory of non-cylindrical fuselage in the internal pressure. Zero-order parameter optimization arithmetic is employed to optimize the sizes of skin, stringers, beams and ribs in the triple-bubble cabin. By restricting the maximum stress and deformation, a light triple-bubble cabin configuration is obtained. The structural analysis method on the aluminum triple-bubble cabin is reliable and applicable.


Introduction: Tracheal intubation is an essential and critical technique in emergency and operating rooms, where the lack of proper treatment (esophageal intubation) can be catastrophic. In this study, we compared an esophageal detector device (EDD) with a capnograph (EtCo2) for verifying tracheal tube placement. Methods: After the approval and support of the Research Council of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, In this single-subject prospective study, 114 patients who were candidates for general or orthopedic surgery were enrolled. After anesthesia and tracheal intubation, tube position was first assessed by EDD (suction bulb type), followed by evaluation using an EtCo2 monitor. Data was analyzed with SPSS v16, McNemar's, chi-square, and t-tests. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were evaluated. P<0.05 was considered as the level of significace. Results: In total, 114 patients underwent 124 intubation attempts due to several difficult esophageal intubations. Sensitivity and positive predictive values for EtCo2 were 100% and for EDD was 98.2% and 95.6%, respectively. Therefore, capnography was a more reliable method for verifying endotracheal tube placement (P=0.016). Discussion: Capnography is the gold standard for recognition of tube position. EDD was less successful (sensitivity=98.2% vs 100%) for elective situations, but it provides rapid recognition and high sensitivity for verifying the tracheal tube position, particularly in cases of emergency and cardiac arrest. Conclusion: Because of high sensitivity and positive predictive value, EDD can be used for tube position recognition if necessary, but EtCo2 monitor is more accurate and reliable.


The composition, volume and stratigraphic organisation of submarine fan systems deposited along continental margins are expected to reflect the landscape from which the sediment was derived. During the Late Cretaceous, the Møre‐Trøndelag margin, Norwegian North Sea was dominated by the deposition of deep‐marine fines; the emplacement of 11 sand‐rich submarine fan systems occurred only during a c. 3 Myr period in the Turonian‐Coniacian. The systems were fed by sediment that was routed through submarine canyons incised into the basin margin; the canyons are underlain by angular unconformities and are interpreted to have resulted from tectonically induced changes in slope physiography and erosion by gravity flows. The areal extent of the onshore drainage catchments that supplied sediment to the fans has been estimated based on scaling relationships derived from modern source‐to‐sink systems. The results of our study suggest that the Turonian fans were sourced by drainage catchments that were up to ca.3600 km2, extending more than ca.100 km inland from the palaeo‐shoreline. The estimated inboard catchment extent correlates with the innermost structures of a large, long‐lived, basement‐involved, normal fault complex. On the basis of our analysis, we conclude that increased sediment supply to the Turonian fan systems reflects tectonic rejuvenation of the landscape, rather than eustatic sea‐level or climate fluctuations. The duration of fan deposition is thus interpreted to reflect the 'relaxation time' of the landscape following tectonic perturbation, and fan system retrogradation and abandonment is interpreted to reflect the eventual depletion of the onshore sediment source. We demonstrate that a better understanding of the stratigraphic variability in deepwater depositional systems can be gained by taking a complete source‐to‐sink view of ancient sediment dispersal systems.


This thesis aimed to explore how obese young women seeking treatment for weight loss experienced being obese. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six obese females, aged 14-17 years. The interviews were led by an interview schedule that focused on body image concern, emotional distress and disordered eating behaviour. The focus was to encourage the participants to talk freely of their experience of being obese. Thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) was used to analyse the transcribed interviews and to identify the central themes used to answer the following research questions:
1) How do obese young women seeking treatment for weight loss describe their body image concerns, and what is the nature of these concerns?
2) How do obese young women seeking treatment for weight loss talk about their emotional experiences?
3) How do obese young women seeking treatment for weight loss talk about their disordered eating behaviours?
There is a detailed description offered outlining the analysis process and the qualitative approach adopted that adhered to methodological rigour regarding trustworthiness and offering transparency in how the data were analysed.
The following themes were generated in relation to the above research questions:
1) Obesity and self-perception (including negative body image concerns relating to body parts dissatisfaction and negative cognitions regarding body shape
2) The role of food and emotions (including emotionally driven eating and disordered eating behaviours)
3) Obesity and others perception (including wider society and negative perceptions and social isolation).
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A dominant feature associated with these themes was the way in which the participants were self-critical regarding their weight and shape and fearful of others criticisms. The findings are discussed in relation to existing research on youth obesity and related psychosocial factors. There are also considerations of the clinical implications of the findings and recommendations for future research.


Magmatic Ni-Cu-platinum group element (PGE) deposits are commonly located in tectonically active regions that typically undergo significant deformation and metamorphism and subsequent reworking of sulfide. The Munali Ni deposit is hosted by a dynamic intrusive mafic-ultramafic system situated within the Zambezi belt in southern Zambia. The deposit comprises Fe-Ni–dominant magmatic sulfides, present as a number of lenticular massive sulfide bodies that display a variety of magmatic and metamorphic sulfide textures. The sulfide lenses are uniformly deficient in iridium subgroup PGEs (IPGEs), Au, and Cu, with unusual but characteristically high bulk Ni/Cu ratios (~10) and a consistent precious metal mineral assemblage dominated by Pd and Pt tellurides. On a centimeter to meter scale, Cu tenors and Ni/Cu ratios are extremely variable (Ni/Cu between 0.1 and 71.5), while Ni and Pd tenors are consistent, indicative of the high mobility and variable concentrations of Cu sulfide within the deposit. Sulfur isotope signatures of the ore sulfides (δ34S ~6‰; Δ33S ~0‰) indicate a local crustal S contaminant from host marbles yet display S/Se ratios suggestive of a postmagmatic overprint. The consistent geochemical similarities of the bulk sulfide throughout the complex and the absence of primary silicate-sulfide textures suggest that the Munali ores were not sourced from a parental magma directly represented by units within the complex. Instead, it is suggested that the sulfide liquid was introduced from elsewhere in the magmatic system during the later stages of the emplacement of the complex. Fractional crystallization of the sulfide liquid during emplacement resulted in the primary segregation of a Cu-rich residual liquid that migrated away from the bulk of the Fe-Ni sulfide, accounting for the high bulk Ni/Cu ratio, with the potential for the accumulation of a separate and thus far undiscovered Cu orebody. In addition, intense deformation during the Pan-African orogeny and interaction with hydrothermal fluids have locally overprinted some of the primary magmatic textures, resulting in localized sulfide mobilization and the extreme variations of Ni/Cu ratio between sulfide samples. Munali therefore represents a complex dynamic deposit showcasing a variety of mechanisms for sulfide fractionation of an Ni-Cu-PGE orebody by both syn- and postmagmatic processes.


We test the validity of applying the alternative stable state paradigm to account for the landscape-scale forest/non-forest mosaic that prevails in temperate Tasmania, Australia. This test is based on fine-scale pollen, spore, and charcoal analyses of sediments located within a small patch of non-forest vegetation surrounded by temperate forest. Following nearly 500 years of forest dominance at the site, a catastrophic fire drove an irreversible shift from a forested Cyperaceae–Sphagnum wetland to a non-forested Restionaceae wetland at ca. 7000 calibrated (cal) yr BP. Persistence of the non-forest/Restionaceae vegetation state over 7000 years, despite long fire-free intervals, implies that fire was not essential for the maintenance of the non-forest state. We propose that reduced interception and transpiration of the non-forest state resulted in local waterlogging, presenting an eco-hydrological barrier to forest reestablishment over the succeeding 7000 years. We further contend that the rhizomatous natur...


The determination of arsenite, arsenate, dimethylarsenic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) in urine has been used for assessing occupational exposure to inorganic arsenic because these species were thought to be unaffected by dietary arsenic. However, this investigation reports how the consumption of certain types of seafood can lead to an increase in the amount of DMA excreted and hence an elevation in the urinary arsenic speciation total. Urine samples collected from volunteers between 4-20 hours after the ingestion of moderate-sized portions of mackerel, herring, crab or tuna, showed mean increases in the arsenic speciation totals of between 1.8 and 6.9 times compared with the levels in samples collected before the seafood was consumed. These findings have important implications in devising a biological monitoring strategy for workers exposed to inorganic arsenic.


Objective: Explore the association between following a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)–accordant diet and kidney end points among urban adults. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study. Subjects: A total of 1,534 urban dwelling participants of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study with a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) $60 mL/minute/1.73 m. Intervention: DASH diet accordance determined via a score based on nine target nutrients. Main OutcomeMeasure: Rapid kidney function decline (eGFR decline.3 mL/minute/1.73 m per year), incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) (follow-up eGFR ,60 mL/minute/1.73 m), and eGFR decline .25%. Results: Participants' mean age was 48 years, and 59% were African-American. Median DASH score was 1.5 (range, 0-8). Over a median of 5 years, 13.4% experienced rapid eGFR decline, including 15.2% among participants not following a DASH-accordant diet (score#1) and 12.0%with higher accordance (score.1) (P5 .08). Outcomes varied by hypertension status. In multinomial logistic regression models, following adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors, including total energy intake, low DASH diet accordance was associated with rapid eGFR decline among participants with hypertension (risk ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.17–2.42) but not among those without hypertension (risk ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval: 0.56-1.24; P interaction .001). There was no statistically significant association between DASH diet accordance and incident CKD or eGFR decline .25%. Results were similar when DASH diet accordance was analyzed in tertiles. Conclusions: Among urban adults, low accordance to a DASH-type diet was not associated with incident CKD, but was associated with higher risk of rapid eGFR decline among those with hypertension, yet not among those without hypertension. Further study of dietary patterns as a potential target for improving kidney outcomes among high-risk populations is warranted. 2016 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.


Australian schools are increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse, with large numbers of immigrant and refugee students from English as a Second Language (ESL) backgrounds. This study explores the perspectives of six parents from India, Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines, and five government school teachers on literacy pedagogy at a primary school in Victoria, Australia. The purpose of the study was to explore how their perspectives aligned regarding the education of ESL children. For this, research questions relating to parent perspectives, the practice of literacy pedagogy at the school, teacher perspectives, and home-school communication were posed. A qualitative case study approach was used to investigate the problem. Data were drawn from semi-structured group and individual interviews, a parent questionnaire, classroom observations, audio-recording of lessons, school newsletters, students" published work, photographs, the researcher"s journal, and fieldnotes. The findings reveal that in some areas of literacy pedagogy, parent and teacher expectations and perspectives were closely aligned and in some areas they diverged. Both groups agreed on aspects of literacy, including its experiential nature, the use of multiliteracies, the level of teacher support needed, and the value of extensive reading and autonomous learning. Their views differed in regard to prescribed textbooks, classroom teaching approaches, daily homework, regular testing, and home-school communication systems. The implications of these findings shed light on the challenges of home-school partnerships with new ESL parents, and provide a framework to develop better collaboration between parents and teachers. It is expected that this study will make a contribution to the field of TESOL research, and to an understanding of literacy pedagogy in culturally and linguistically diverse schools. This will lead to improved home-school partnerships, which will in turn help to strengthen ESL children"s literacy learning.


For as long as there have been humans in the Central Valley grasslands, they have hunted, fished, and gathered plant or animal life for consumption. "Foraging" became a health concern with the evidence of selenium accumulation at Kesterson Reservoir. A survey suggests that a large number and variety of people forage. The amounts and frequency of consumption are probably not great enough to be a health hazard to any one person or group, but there is still some cause for concern.


Ternary compounds (PbTe)1-x(SnTe)x with nanocrystallines were synthesized at a temperature of 180oC by conventional solvothermal method. XRD analyses revealed that relatively pure compounds can be synthesized using ethylenediamine as a solvent only when a reaction time of at least 24h is applied. The XRD results are in agreement well with those from EMPA analysis. The grain sizes of the materials, ranging from 50~70nm, are slowly increased with reaction time. Measurements showed that the maximum power factor of about 6.0×10-4 W.m.K-2 for the synthesized materials are higher than that of similar material prepared by vacuum melting.


Catalysis, as the key to minimize the energy requirement and environmental impact of today's chemical industry, plays a vital role in many fields directly related to our daily life and economy, including energy generation, environment control, manufacture of chemicals, medicine synthesis, etc. Rational design and fabrication of highly efficient catalysts have become the ultimate goal of today's catalysis research. For the purpose of handling and product separation, heterogeneous catalysts are highly preferred for industrial applications and a large part of which are the composites of transition metal nanoparticles (TMNPs). With the fast development of nanoscience and nanotechnology and assisted with theoretical investigations, basic understanding on tailoring the electronic structure of these nanocomposites has been gained, mainly by precise control of the composition, morphology, interfacial structure and electronic states. With the rise of graphene, chemical routes to prepare graphene were developed and various graphene-based composites were fabricated. Transition metal nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide (TMNPs–rGO) composites have attracted considerable attention, because of their intriguing catalytic performance which have been extensively explored for energy- and environment-related applications to date. This review summarizes our recent experimental and theoretical efforts on understanding the superior catalytic performance of subnanosized TMNPs–rGO composites.


The October 2008 issue of PS published a symposium of presidential and congressional forecasts made in the summer leading up to the election. This article is an assessment of the accuracy of their models. On September 8, 2008, the Trial-heat Forecasting Model predicted that in-party candidate Senator John McCain would receive 52.7% of the national two-party popular presidential vote. The forecast of a victory of modest proportions for Senator McCain reflected his having a five-percentage-point lead over Senator Barack Obama in Gallup's early September, post-convention poll (49% to 44%) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis' August report of a 3.3% GDP growth rate in the second quarter of the year, about average for a second quarter election year economy.


Micro-scaling cryogenic refrigerators, in particular the Joule-Thomson (JT) variety require very good information about heat transfer characteristics of the refrigerants flowing in the microchannels for optimal design and performance. The extremely low Reynolds flow is present in a micro JT cryocooler, the heat transfer characteristics at these conditions require investigation. There are numerous studies regarding heat transfer coefficient measurements of liquid flow in microchannels at/near ambient temperature and high Reynolds flow (Re>2000), that agree well with the conventional correlations. However, results from previous studies of gaseous flow in microchannels at low Reynolds flow (Re<1000) disagree with conventional theory. Moreover, the studies performed at cryogenic temperatures are quite limited in number. In this paper, the single-phase heat transfer coefficients and friction factors for nitrogen are measured at ambient and cryogenic temperatures. The hydraulic diameters for this study are 60, 110 and 180 μm for circular microchannels. The Reynolds numbers varied from a very low value of 10 to 3000. The measured friction factors are comparable to those in macro-scale tubes. The experimental results of the heat transfer indicate that Nusselt numbers derived from measurements are significantly affected by axial conduction at low Reynolds flow (Re<500). The Nusselt numbers at high Reynolds flow (Re>1000) follow conventional theory. The detailed experiment, procedure, and measured results are presented in this paper and discussed regarding deviation from ideal theory at low Reynolds flow.


In wireless sensor networks data, which get generated, is not always same; some data may be more important than others and having different priorities. As deployment sizes and data rates grow, congestion becomes a major problem in these networks. The congestion results in arbitrary dropping of data packets that reduce the overall network throughput. In this paper, we discuss the various parameters (root causes of congestion), which help us to avoid and control the congestion in the wireless sensor network. The parameters consider in this paper are input/output flow rate, node density, non-linear or unbalanced distribution of load, processing / service time of node and reliability of network.


According to accounting and auditing standards, external auditors and management must both independently monitor goodwill balance for any impairment. Therefore, goodwill impairment may contain valuable incremental information about the CEO's ability which the board can utilize for CEO retention decisions. Consistent with this expectation, we find goodwill impairments lead to a large jump in subsequent CEO turnover. The turnover-impairment relationship varies with CEO power, auditor quality, accounting performance, and CEO-age and the information in goodwill impairment is incremental to the announcement period stock returns. Our analyses suggest that boards utilize the negative information in goodwill impairment in one of two ways. In the more severe cases, the incumbent CEO is dismissed; in other cases, their equity compensation is reduced which suggests that retention and pay act as alternative disciplining mechanisms. Our study highlights how the intersection of financial reporting and auditing can generate valuable information in disciplining CEOs.


Education reform is a political catalyst for educational change that can often affect a teacher's practice, particularly when in-service training and development is either irregular, irrelevant, or non-existent. In light of the 2014 Tonga education reform, outcomes-based education has affected History teachers' pedagogical practices in the classroom. Curriculum and Assessment have also been impacted.
Tonga, like other education systems in the region is driven by formal assessments, and consequently, History teachers' pedagogical practices reflect this norm. Many Tongan educators have advocated for culturally responsive practices that meet the learning needs of diverse students in the classroom (Helu, 1999; Johansson Fua, 2009; Māhina, 2008; Manu'atu, 2000; Taufe'ulungaki, 2014; Thaman, 2016). Anecdotal evidence suggest a decrease in the number of students enrolled in senior History. Such concerns require the provision of ongoing and regular training and development for History teachers in order to improve the learning and success of History students in Tonga.
Though 'busyness in the classroom' is normal practice and is part of the professional expectation required from our History teachers; how can they continue to meet expectations and at the same time foster inspiration and empowerment in the transmission of historical knowledge and skills to their students? The question raised is a key focus of the 2018 conference and vision.
This report details the 2018 Tongatapu History Teachers Association (THTA) conference which was held on Thursday 17th of May at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nuku'alofa. With support from the Examination Unit and the Tonga Ministry of Education, all history teachers in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai, and 'Eua attended the one day conference which took place from 7:30 am to 4 pm.
The primary goal of the conference was to provide pedagogical and assessment support for history teachers. Four secondary schools were invited by the organising committee to deliver workshops that focused on pedagogy in junior history, and assessment at the senior history level. The conference workshops were initiated as ways to regularly support teachers' in-service professional learning and development.
History teachers from Vava'u, 'Eua, and Ha'apai were all able to attend the conference in Tongatapu, thanks to the funding support from the Tonga Ministry of Education and Training's (MET) Examinations Unit, and the commitment of its leader, 'Amelia Folaumahina. Evidence from the post-conference evaluations highlighted that teachers felt empowered and inspired as a result of the collective gathering and sharing through the keynote presentations as well as the workshops.
Looking ahead to 2019, the conference participants have identified areas that require further professional learning and development and are stated in this report as recommendations. Both Dr 'Asinate Samate, the principal of Queen Salote College, as well as Ms Liuaki Fusitu'a, dean of the Tonga Institute of Education (TIOE), have advocated for the need to hold future gatherings where history teachers are able to collaborate, share, and disseminate key learning and best practice in their classrooms. In the meantime, the Tongatapu History Association will continue its monthly meetings and utilize the passion and knowledge learned from this year's conference.


This is another in a series of panels by correspondence being published by theArchives.A guest chairman invites three experts to write independent answers to a series of questions touching on everyday controversial problems in a particular area. TheArchivesis grateful to the distinguished surgeons who have participated in this panel on massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Although the questions have all been answered by mail, Dr. Dunphy has been able to create the atmosphere of a live panel discussion. Dr. Dunphy: In this panel discussion we shall explore the most common causes of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage and attempt to define areas of agreement on their recognition and treatment. Let me first ask the panel what they consider the five most common causes of massive upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage. Dr. Moody: I would list in order (1) duodenal ulcer, (2) alcoholic gastritis, gastric ulcer, (4) esophageal varices, and (5) Mallory-Weiss


The relevance of the topic is related to the psychosocial consequences of the COVID19 pandemic. The aim is to study the subjective well-being during the beginning of the pandemic and introduction of the quarantine measures and their connection to social media activity. The methods employed in the present study include various types of questionnaires, namely the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) (Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmnos, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995), and an original questionnaire developed to study the impact of the pandemic and the respondents' understanding and perceptions of it. The findings of the quantitative analysis show that the subjective well-being during the pandemic is connected to the use of social media, life satisfaction, health risks assessments and economic consequences, leisure time and the level of self-efficacy. A qualitative analysis indicates that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine the negative predictions of the consequences of both the pandemic and the implemented quarantine measures prevail among the subjects. A longitudinal study during one month has found a reduction in health concerns, and respondents began to assess the threat to their health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic as less serious than at the beginning. Thus, it can be concluded that from a short-term perspective the negative affect, especially the levels of fear and anxiety, decreased, whereas the level of the positive affect did not change. Keywords: psychological well-being, subjective well-being, pandemic, life satisfaction, social media, conspiracy theories, COVID-19.


At the zenith of British power at the beginning of the twentieth century there was a widespread recognition that Britain's position in the emerging global industrial inter-state system was increasingly precarious and that widespread adjustments would be needed. One solution, the 'imperial federalism' of Seeley and Mackinder, proposed the political integration of the scattered British settler colonies into a 'Greater Britain'. Alternatively, Wells predicted that Britain would become integated into an Anglo-American 'greater synthesis', and that Europe would be unified on 'Swiss confederal' rather than German authoritarian lines. These proposals and prophesies were based upon interpretations of the changing material context composed of technology interacting with geography, and were seriously flawed. Extensive debates on these schemes indicate that the range of grand strategic choice was broader than that conceptualized by contemporary realism. The failure of British national integration due to geographic factors and the endurance of the Anglo-American special relationship casts the roles of the nation-state and the Western liberal order in a new perspective.


RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to discover the opinions of New Zealand public library staff on ebooks. While there are studies on opinions on ebooks, there is less emphasis on public library staff. Ebooks are becoming more and more popular and how libraries implement them will impact on the future of libraries. The aim of this study was to discover what library staff liked and disliked about ebooks and how they feel about ebooks in public libraries. METHODOLOGY: Invitations to participate in a survey about ebooks were posted on two email discussion lists, PUBSIG, for New Zealand public library staff, and NZ-Libs, for New Zealand library staff. Additionally, an invitation was emailed to all staff members of Wellington City Libraries. Data were collected using an online survey consisting mainly of Likert-type statements that respondents indicate their level of agreement to. These statements were adapted from previous studies done on ebooks. Respondents were not required to answer every question. RESULTS: There were 202 responses. 63% (127) of New Zealand public library staff surveyed have read at least one ebook in the past year. 93% (188) Agree or Strongly Agree with the statement that it is important for public libraries to offer ebooks. 57% (105) Agree or Strongly Agree with the statement "I enjoy helping patrons with technical questions about ebooks or ereaders". Respondents think that the portability of ebooks and the ability to customise ebooks is useful. Most library staff surveyed think the increasing popularity of ebooks is good for libraries. The median response to "My library has a great stock of ebooks" was Neither Agree nor Disagree, with the majority of respondents agreeing that ebook licensing terms restricts the stock of ebooks available at their library. IMPLICATIONS: Library staff think that offering ebooks is important for libraries. However, libraries implementing ebooks need to ensure staff are ready to help patrons with ebooks. Ebook licensing terms are perceived as restricting libraries' ebook stock, for libraries to be successful at offering ebooks the licensing situation may need to change.


Supply chain management complexity is a growing challenge for a broad range of contemporary companies, which makes them turn to new and increasingly advanced IT-systems as a salvation. One of the currently most important system in a supply chain manager's toolbox is the warehouse management system. As business challenges increases so does also the complexity in the investment processes surrounding the warehouse management systems, this paper explores value creation in these processes to understand the resource exchanges involved, the exchange actor's different roles and the implications of interactions between the actors. This is conducted through a case study with a market leading warehouse management system vendor and a supply chain intensive customer.The findings indicate that value creation in a complex warehouse management system investment entails several intervened and ongoing processes of different resource exchanges, were the actors co-create value jointly by sharing, combining and utilizing the resources throughout these processes. In order to establish this essential value co-creation sphere, also social exchanges in the form of qualitative interactions between the actors have proven to be a fundamental factor.


Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition has shifted many ecosystems from nitrogen (N) limitation to phosphorus (P) limitation. Although well documented in plants, no study to date has explored whether N deposition exacerbates P limitation at higher trophic levels, or focused on the effects of induced plant P limitation on trophic interactions. Insect herbivores exhibit strict N : P homeostasis, and should therefore be very sensitive to variations in plant N : P stoichiometry and prone to experiencing deposition‐induced P limitation. In the current study, we investigated the effects of N deposition and P availability on a plant‐herbivorous insect system. Using common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and two of its specialist herbivores, the monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) and milkweed aphid (Aphis asclepiadis) as our study system, we found that experimental N deposition caused P limitation in milkweed plants, but not in either insect species. However, the mechanisms for the lack of P limitation were different for each insect species. The body tissues of A. asclepiadis always exhibited higher N : P ratios than that of the host plant, suggesting that the N demand of this species exceeds P demand, even under high N deposition levels. For D. plexippus, P addition increased the production of latex, which is an important defense negatively affecting D. plexippus growth rate. As a result, we illustrate that P limitation of herbivores is not an inevitable consequence of anthropogenic N deposition in terrestrial systems. Rather, species‐specific demands for nutrients and the defensive responses of plants combine to determine the responses of herbivores to P availability under N deposition.


The following double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study investigated the influence of a bacterial immunostimulant (Symbioflor 1, cells and autolysate of human Enterococcus faecalis) on the occurrence of relapses in patients with chronic recurrent bronchitis (n = 136; placebo n = 66, verum n = 70) in a 6 months treatment period and a follow-up period of 8 months, compared to placebo. Under verum 39 incidents of relapses were recorded, which was about 60% the number observed among the patients treated with placebo (66 incidents). The verum preparation exhibited superior clinical efficacy compared to placebo (p = 0.001) in the Kaplan-Meier test. This better clinical efficiency of the test preparation was particularly observed during the treatment period, with 12 vs. 27 relapses (p = 0.013), but less during the follow-up observation period, with 27 vs. 39 relapses (p = 0.127). In addition, the time span until occurrence of the first relapse was clearly longer under verum (699 days) than under placebo (334 days) and after the end of the observation period 91% of patients under verum experienced only one relapse compared to 62% in the placebo group (p = 0.01). Severity of relapses under verum was also reduced significantly (chi 2; p = 0.001. Only 4 patients under verum required antibiotic therapy compared to 13 patients under placebo. Verum was equally well tolerated as placebo, with no serious side effects in either group. No changes in laboratory tests--haematology and clinical chemistry--were observed. It can be concluded, that previously demonstrated immunomodifying effects of the test preparation have clinical relevance for the treatment of chronic recurrent bronchitis because not only the number but also the severity of acute relapses could be clearly reduced. This is discussed in view of the current literature.


Objectives—To examine the influence of preseason fitness, existing injury, and preseason rugby training on subsequent injury. Methods—Players were eligible for the survey if they were a member of a Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) affiliated rugby club in the Border Reivers District of the SRU during the 1997–1998 season. A total of 803 (84%) players from 22 (88%) participating clubs provided details of rugby training, injuries sustained, and physical activity undertaken during the 16 week summer period (26 April to 16 August 1997) and their perceived fitness before the start of the season. Observers at participating clubs reported all injury episodes occurring to club players throughout the 1997–1998 season. Results—One fifth of players did not attend any rugby training during the 16 week summer period; the remainder attended a median of 14 sessions. Throughout the 1997–1998 season, 675 injury episodes occurred to 423 (53%) players during training or in matches. After adjustment for whether players held a professional contract or were amateurs, Cox regression showed a 3.9% relative increase (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9 to 5.9%) in the risk of injury over the season for each additional preseason training week attended, and a 61% relative increase (95% CI 32 to 97%) for those players who had been injured or were carrying an injury at the end of the previous season. Conclusions—Injury risk is more likely to be related to rugby training (type of activities undertaken in rugby training, or personalities and characteristics of players undertaking training more frequently) than to overall player fitness. Players who were injured at the end of the previous season were more likely to be injured in the following season. This may be because they do not allow previous injuries to heal sufficiently before returning to the game, or the intensity of their participation may increase their risk of injury.


In the environment of the 3:rd generation Internet based on peer-to-peer architecture, well-trusted methods must exist to establish a secure environment. One main issue is the possibility to verify that a node actually is who it claims to be (authentication). Establishment of authentication between nodes in a peer-to-peer environment where nodes are exchanging information directly with each other requires more planning than in a typical client-server environment where the authentication methods are server-based. The peer-to-peer applications described in this report use authentication methods based on central authorities as well as solutions without central authorities. Lack of standards in the way peer-to-peer systems should communicate and apply security lead to a variety of "local" communication and security solutions. These local solutions make different applications incompatible with each other, meaning that a peer using one application will not be able to communicate and exchange information with other peers using some other application.


 Abstract—Recently, the UAE government endorsed the design and implementation of green buildings to increase energy efficiency. This means that construction fraternity would need to move from the conventional construction, i.e. Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU), towards sustainable methods such as Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). However, the cost is an issue when it comes to green buildings. Therefore, this paper looks into a green construction method, i.e. insulated concrete form, and determines problems faced by construction industry for its implementation with the help of a survey. It was found out that changes in codes and regulations are necessary to integrate and encourage the use of insulated concrete formwork. Moreover, results also depict that less proportion of people had previous experiences with insulated concrete forms. Regardless, all respondents have strongly agreed that the increase in publicity of insulated concrete formwork, and encouraging the use of green materials in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) are essential to convince construction society to adopt such methods. Future research can be done on the Life Cycle Cost Analysis of an insulated concrete formed villa to determine the overall cost. This will include factors such as initial cost, maintenance cost, and salvage value.


Objective. This study explored the emotional experiences of mothers in interacting with their 2-year-old children and examined interrelations among maternal emotion, family distress, and observations of parenting sensitivity. Design. Sixty mothers and their 2-year-old children were observed interacting during both enjoyable (free play) and challenging (waiting) interaction tasks, and mothers provided self-report information about their emotional experiences during each task. Mothers also completed self-report measures to assess family distress. Results. Mothers experienced and expressed a range of positive and negative emotions during interactions with their toddlers, however, mothers' expressed (observed) and experienced (self-reported) emotions were generally uncorrelated. Mothers reported experiencing more positive emotion during interactions characterized by less child negativity and less negative emotion during interactions characterized by child expressions of positive emotion. Mothers' self-reported emotional experiences during interactions with their children moderated the associations between family distress (as reported by mothers) and sensitive parenting behaviors (as observed during parent-child interaction). Conclusions. Findings support a conceptualization of parenting as multiply determined by child, parent, and family contextual factors, with emotion serving an integral role. Results are also discussed with regard to parenting emotion as a potential target for intervention in distressed families.


We have designed multisurface Halbach high temperature superconductor–permanent magnetic guideway (HTS–PMG) arrangements for magnetically levitated transportation (Maglev) and investigated the static force parameters in addition to the dynamic response characteristics. Three different Halbach HTS–PMG arrangements were used with multisurface (6 HTS, 4 HTS) and single surface (2 HTS) configurations and static and dynamic measurements were carried out in three different field cooling heights (FCHs). The bigger vertical loading capacity and wider loading gap were obtained with multisurface Halbach HTS–PMG arrangements. In addition, nearly four times bigger guidance force values of multisurface arrangements than that of single surface one indicates that the side HTSs in multisurface arrangements make a significant contribution to the guidance force and thus lateral movement stability of Maglev systems. Both the vertical and lateral dynamic stiffness values increased with decreasing FCH and it can be also said that the dynamic stiffness properties of Maglev systems can be enhanced especially in lateral direction by using the multisurface Halbach HTS–PMG arrangements. Understanding of these experimental observations is supported by dedicated theoretical modelling through a 2-D approximation of the system. We show that by using a single material parameter (the critical current density ${{\boldsymbol{J}}_{{\bf c}}}$) for the whole superconducting set, one may satisfactorily predict the complete series of experiments. The static and dynamic parameters obtained from this study and the results of dedicated theoretical modeling for single–surface and multisurface HTS–PMG arrangements are thought to be helpful for the researchers working on static and dynamic performances of HTS Maglev systems.


Twenty years after the start of the first Report on cultural economics in Italy drafting, edited later by the Italian Association, this paper draws up a balance of the role played by Italian institutions in promoting public policies of culture as part of the more general choices of political economy aimed to modernize the country. Within the framework of the European agreements and thinking in the field of cultural policies, a particular attention is drawn to subjects as the relations between heritage protection and promotion, the laws and regulations relating to cultural goods, the coming of the Internet, the choices made by the State budget and the sector real economy (incoherent), the growing social demand of cultural goods and the potential growing of research and innovation in the sector, the lack of private - and the potential of international - investments, a more wide consideration of synergies between tourism and culture, the scanty role of Italian television system as a central force in the cultural industries growth. A set of aspects that, as a whole, shows many problems to solve in the governance of public institutions and in the market organization, with peculiar imbalances between centre-northern and southern Italy.


The adoption of performance-related pay schemes is part of the wider market-type reforms occurring in public services today. However, this 'managerial revolution' has prompted an academic debate for and against these practices. The main questions raised revolve around the novelty, objectivity and compatibility of such practices to which this study responds. The thesis argues that the value of an incentive scheme policy is a function of the organisational environment, objectivity of performance measurement processes and perceived equity of the installed scheme. The research uses data from in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and desk research based on a case study of performance-related pay schemes in UK local authorities. The evidence indicates a strong support at policy level for the use of market-type managerial reforms, but less support on the ground for the performance-pay thesis. There are difficulties encountered in the setting, measuring and rewarding qualitative performance of intangible targets such as intellectual capital. The evidence perceives PRP schemes to be vulnerable to failure as they are installed as 'off-the-shelf' 'stand-alone' rather than organization-specific motivational devices. The study looks at the 'new' role of management accounting systems in meeting 'performance information needs' of public sector managers as a potential area for further research.


The hematologic values and prevalence of anemia in Libyan school children 6-19 yrs of age were investigated. The mean values of boys followed the normal pattern of rise with age. In girls, the mean values increased with age until age 15 yrs, and subsequently declined. The prevalence of low hemoglobin and of low hematocrit values was 3.2% and 11.3% respectively. The highest prevalence of low hemoglobin in boys and in girls was 4.6% (13-15 yrs) and 6.2% (16-19 yrs) respectively. The highest prevalence of low hematocrit was observed in age group 6-9 yrs in both sexes (boys 17.0%, girls 20.2%). Rates of prevalence of anaemia in Libyan school children were compared with those in Bahrain, Oman and USA.


Formation behavior of nanovoids during the annealing of amorphous Al2O3 and WO3 was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The density and size of the voids in Al2O3 and WO3 increase with increasing annealing temperature from 973 to 1123 K and from 573 to 673 K, respectively. It is suggested that the formation of nanovoids during annealing is attributed to the large difference in density between as-deposited amorphous and crystalline oxides.


This study reports vocabulary and reading comprehension instructional practices implemented in middle and high school social studies and language arts classrooms. It also describes text reading practices. We conducted 137 observations of 11 social studies and 9 language arts teachers over the course of 1 academic year. We observed instructional practices supportive of vocabulary and reading comprehension to differing degrees in social studies and language arts. The proportion of time spent reading text was roughly the same across the 2 subjects, with differences by text type, reading mode, and grade level within both subject areas.


Avery's Neonatology-Mhairi G. MacDonald 2005 Revised and updated by a new editorial team, the Sixth Edition of this text will remain the leading reference on the clinical care of the newborn. It provides complete, authoritative information on the biology of the newborn and the pathophysiology and management of diseases during the neonatal period. This edition has five new chapters on the role of telemedicine in neonatology, the impact of labor and delivery on the fetus, fetal determinants of adult disease, breast feeding, and control of breathing and apnea. Also included is a full-color insert illustrating key signs and symptoms, selected imaging techniques, and dermatologic conditions.


We present an algorithmic framework for solving the packet classification problem that allows various access time versus memory tradeoffs. It reduces the multidimensional packet classification problem to solving a few instances of the one-dimensional IP lookup problem. It gives the best known lookup performance with moderately large memory space. Furthermore, it efficiently supports a reasonable number of additions and deletions to the rulesets without degrading the lookup performance. We perform a thorough experimental study of the tradeoffs for the two-dimensional packet classification problem on rulesets derived from datasets collected from AT&T WorldNet, an Internet service provider.


OBJECTIVES
This study examined selected effects of the proper use of nonparametric inferential statistical methods for analysis of nonnormally distributed data, as exemplified by emergency department length of stay (ED LOS). The hypothesis was that parametric methods have been used inappropriately for evaluation of ED LOS in most recent studies in leading emergency medicine (EM) journals. To illustrate why such a methodologic flaw should be avoided, a demonstration, using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), is presented. The demonstration shows how inappropriate analysis of ED LOS increases the probability of type II errors.

METHODS
Five major EM journals were reviewed, January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2007, and all studies with ED LOS as one of the reported outcomes were reviewed. The authors determined whether ED LOS was analyzed correctly by ascertaining whether nonparametric tests were used when indicated. An illustrative analysis of ED LOS was constructed using 2006 NHAMCS data, to demonstrate how inferential testing for statistical significance can deliver differing conclusions, depending on whether nonparametric methods are used when indicated.

RESULTS
Forty-nine articles were identified that studied ED LOS; 80% did not perform a test of normality on the ED LOS data. Data were not normally distributed in all 10 of the studies that did perform such tests. Overall, 43% failed to use appropriate nonparametric methods. Analysis of NHAMCS data confirmed that failure to use nonparametric bivariate tests results in type II statistical error and in multivariate models with less explanatory power (a smaller R²) value).

CONCLUSIONS
ED LOS, a key ED operational metric, is frequently analyzed incorrectly in the EM literature. Applying parametric statistical tests to such nonnormally distributed data reduces power and increases the probability of a type II error, which is the failure to find true associations. Appropriate use of nonparametric statistics should be a core component of statistical literacy because such use increases the validity of ED research and quality improvement projects.


A new, asymmetrical zinc phthalocyanine (aZnPc)-functional photocurable copolymer was prepared by the combination of atom transfer radical polymerization and copper (I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cyclo-addition (CuAAC) click reaction and used as polymer matrix of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film. For this purpose, aZnPc was prepared through statistical condensation of 4-tert-butylphthalonitrile and 4-pent-4-ynyloxyphthalonitrile. Double CuAAC click reaction between azido-functional poly(methyl methacrylate-co-2-(2-bromoisobutyryloxy)-ethyl methacrylate), terminal alkynyl-substituted aZnPc, and 4-ethynyl-N,N-dimethyl aniline yielded photocurable aZnPc-functional copolymer. Thereby, synthesized copolymer was crosslinked in the presence of liquid crystalline mesogen 4′-(octyloxy)-4-biphenylcarbonitrile by ultraviolet irradiation using benzophenone as initiator and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as difunctional crosslinker. Thermal and optical properties of PDLC film were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. Smectic A liquid crystal mesophases were observed in both PDLC film and its mesogenic component 4′-(octyloxy)-4-biphenylcarbonitrile. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41574.


This thesis presents an overview over the history of the concepts of nation and nationalism in Thailand. Based on the ethno-symbolist approach to the study of nationalism, this thesis proposes to see the Thai nation as a result of a long process, reflecting the three-phases-model (ethnie, pre-modern and modern nation) for the potential development of a nation as outlined by Anthony Smith. The four main points put forward by this thesis are as follows: First, the Thai nation is the result of a long process with roots within several cultural cores. When the modern nation came into being in the early Bangkok period, it was characterised by an indigenous interpretation different from the western understanding of a nation. Second, Thai nationalism as an ideology originated in the mid-nineteenth century. It was a consequence of an intra-elite struggle between the nobility and the monarchy. The kings actively used nationalism to strengthen their position and to bind the loyalty of the people to their institution. As a result, Thai nationalism at the very beginning was 'monarchical' with the monarch himself embedding the nation and lacking a popular component. Third, Thai nationalism in the twentieth century was characterised by alternate interpretations of the nations by different ruling elite groups. This resulted in three competing nationalisms, namely monarchical, statist, and royal nationalism. Fourth, the period since 1980 saw a revival of monarchical nationalism. The current ruler, King Bhumibol, adapted monarchical nationalism to a modern and democratic political system. He interprets the modern nation as a self-sufficient, trans-ethnic and moral community and disseminates the ideals with the help of the state via monuments, art, stamps, ceremonies, legends and festivals.


This essay focuses on the holders of accumulated capital in the brewing industry to examine the characteristics of the capital accumulation process and the connection between accumulated capital and the start of Japan's industrialisation in Meiji period. The characteristic feature of brewing as a so-called "traditional industry" was that individual entrepreneurs accumulated a relatively large amount of capital and labour. The multi-layered structure of the brewing industry, with large-sized brewers selling to urban markets and small and medium-sized producers supplying areas outside the cities, resulted in this feature and formed a necessary condition for the investment activities of brewers. According to the examination of historical materials on particular brewery businesses [the Hamaguchi family and the Sekiguchi family], the brewers dared to invest their capital locally - in areas where they maintained close relationships. Capital accumulation in "traditional" industries was thus linked to the emergence of modern enterprises, and this linkage was supported by a regional community in which "traditional capitalists"' acted as "local notables" as much as entrepreneurs. The investment activities rooted in the regional community were the hidden driving force in initiating Japan's industrial revolution and full-scale industrialisation.


The sustainable development concept is one of the basic issue in 21 century . one of the its aspect is urban environment . In 21 agenda 1 has been considered special role for municipalities as local government in implementation sustainable principles . in future development document of Mashhad , creation of healthy environment is one of the basic objectives . Also, has been studied urban development with emphasis on sustainable principles. Municipals are connected to urban issues such as : transportation , green spaces , waste collection , traffic , urban sewage , land-use locating and etc . So value engineering is as efficient and effective technique for reducing costs and increasing environment quality. Therefore value engineering have special place in planning of urban issues. The propose of the paper is, studying the role of value engineering in Mashhad Municipal and urban planning.


Correlating the observations and the results of all activities during our research , we find that the Internet represents a challenge socially and it use in education involves an art to transform the power of these resources in the power of learning, a power to develop educational scenarios that optimally integrate Internet into traditional education. Educational potential of the Internet cannot be exploited without effort. There emerges, as a prime necessity, the need to address research in this area - the ways in which Internet can be used to effectively improve education - both enthusiastically and critically.
As shown in the analysis of curriculum documents and of conducted lessons, educational potential of the Internet is not only related to the transfer of information and communication but can be extended to form a diverse set of skills and develop attitudes, behaviors and values.

Efficiency of new information technologies in education
One challenge which educational players must consider is the way in which new information and communication technologies and the Internet in particular are integrated and involved in education. Promoting the use of technology in education requires a holistic approach and concurrent strategies.
A challenge to the use of Internet in education both for policy makers and educational actors is the cost issue. We should not expect that the introduction of information and communications technology, particularly the Internet in education to lead to a decrease in costs. Given the tension between large investments in implementing new technologies and the fact that education is facing some financial problems, comprehensive studies regarding the cost effectiveness should be part of the future research agenda in the field of education.


Hiekkataipale, Minna-Maaria Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Middle Managers' Ethical Decision Making and Behaviour in the Organisational Context Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2018, 87 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Business and Economics ISSN 1457-1986; 186) ISBN 978-951-39-7381-0 (print) ISBN 978-951-39-7382-7 (PDF) This study increases knowledge and understanding of middle managers' ethical decision-making and behaviour within the context of Finnish higher education. The aim of the research is to develop a new framework for ethical decision-making and behaviour by combining prior theories and empirical knowledge. This dissertation consists of an introductory essay and three articles. The main argument of this research is that through organisations' socialisation processes, middle managers adopt socially defined managerial roles, which affect their ethical decision-making and ethical conduct. We can say that especially the ethical organisational culture is significant for middle managers' understanding of ethical accountability and for their actual ability to behave ethically when facing ethical problems. Another key argument of this research is that middle managers, as effective moral agents, can change and develop the existing organisational culture. This research draws on the phenomenological research tradition and it was conducted by using the critical incident technique (CIT). The data consists of interviews collected in four knowledge organisations, all of them institutions of higher education in Finland. The empirical findings of this dissertation suggest that ethical problems that require managerial decision-making are of an everyday nature in the knowledge organisations studied here, and that middle managers handle the problems in various ways, often on the basis of what they think is expected from them in their middle management position. In addition to meeting the role expectations held by upper management, middle managers also try to meet the expectations of their highly skilled staff members when making decisions. Moreover, managers themselves can act as influential decision-makers who set an example of ethical behaviour for others to follow. This result underlines the importance of open and honest dialogue between all managerial levels, and especially between managers and employees in knowledge organisations, concerning what is expected in terms of ethical decision-making and ethical behaviour. In this introductory essay, a new theoretical framework for ethical decisionmaking and behaviour is developed. What is called the appropriate agency framework for ethical decision-making combines the theories of logic of appropriateness and moral agency and takes into account the dimensions of the ethical culture of organisations. The framework demonstrates how situational elements, the centrality of moral identity, and organisational rules together influence ethical behaviour, and how reflection and learning affect this process.


Septic Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis is an unusual complication of acute mastoiditis in children. This is a case of acute mastoiditis in a 7 years old child following an acute otitis media ear infection, which presented with ear discharge, trismus, mastoid area erythema and TMJ swelling and pain. CT scan showed opacification of mastoid temporal bone and TMJ area. Treatment included antibiotics and TMJ abscess surgical drainage. In this case report, we discuss the clinical picture, investigations, treatment and literature review for this case. Multidisciplinary approach (ENT, Paediatrics, and Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons) was mandatory to manage this unusual complication in children.


There is an evident contrast between health education practices and theoretical reflection concerning them as models. Health education practices have undergone considerable development in terms of strategies, methods, and modalities, while theoretical models have remained deficient, reductionist, fragmentary, and focused on behavior rather than social practices. Major problems include individualism, asymmetrical "teacher-student" relationships, students as passive objects of practices, lack of social and cultural contextualism, and excessive focus on factual behavior. We propose a praxis based on ten levels of integration regarding different human dimensions: 1) complexity requires interdisciplinarity; 2) holism; 3) combined perceptual and expressive dimensions in a integrated language; 4) framing of practices in real contexts; 5) realization of the continuity between the individual and collective realms; 6) symmetrical, dialogic and active educational practice; 7) integration of both intellectual-cognitive and affective-volitional processes; 8) risks as vulnerabilities of social groups that are capable of organization; 9) use of imagination in role-playing games; 10) recognition of others and diversity. Political aspects of education are emphasized as promoting citizenship and social change.


A new series of mononuclear lanthanide single molecule magnets based on sandwich-type germanomolybdates, (C4H10ON)8H5[Er(GeMo11O39)2]·14H2O (1), (C4H10ON)8H5[Gd(GeMo11O39)2]·13H2O (2), (C4H10ON)8H5 [Dy(GeMo11O39)2]·15H2O (3), (C4H10ON)8H5[Tb(GeMo11O39)2]·14H2O (4), have been successfully synthesized. Compounds 1–4 are the first examples of the coordination assembly of monolacunary germanomolybdates and heavy rare earth elements, and were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The magnetic investigation shows that 1 and 3 exhibit magnetic relaxation behavior in a zero applied dc field, indicative of SMM behavior. Slow magnetic relaxation behavior of 1–4 could be observed in a static magnetic field of 5000 Oe.


The Lord of the Rings. Pirates of the Caribbean. Troy. These movies have two things in common. They are the biggest smash hits in recent cinema history; and they feature one of the most charismatic young actors of this, or any other, generation. Devastatingly good looking, and one of the most convincing leading men the silver screen has witnessed for a very long time, Orlando Bloom sets hearts pounding! As Legolas the elf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy - the most successful movie enterprise of all time - he wowed audiences with his convincing characterisation and fabulous action sequences. In Pirates of the Caribbean he created the surprise hit of the summer as Johnny Depp's swashbuckling sidekick. And in Troy his reputation as Hollywood's leading heart-throb looks set to be consolidated as he stars alongside Brad Pitt in the biggest movie of 2004. Orlando Bloom: The Biography is a fabulously illustrated, intimate yet affectionate biography of a man to whom fame has come quickly, but who has remained endearingly unaffected by the whirl of publicity that has surrounded him. It is a book that Orlando's growing legion of fans will have to own.


BackgroundADP plays a key role in hemostasis, acting through 2 platelet receptors: the P2Y1 receptor and an unidentified P2 receptor, called P2cyc, coupled to adenylyl cyclase inhibition, which is the target of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel. We showed that the P2Y1 receptor is an essential cofactor in thrombotic states induced by intravenous infusion of collagen and epinephrine. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of this receptor in thrombin-dependent tissue factor–induced thromboembolism. Methods and ResultsHuman thromboplastin was injected intravenously into wild-type or P2Y1-deficient mice, and the effects on platelet count and mortality were determined and plasma thrombin–antithrombin III (TAT) complexes were quantified. P2Y1-deficient mice were resistant to the thromboembolism induced by injection of thromboplastin. Whereas the platelet count decreased sharply in wild-type mice, there was no significant drop in platelets in P2Y1-knockout mice. The platelet consumption in wild-type mice was probably due to thrombin generation, because it was abolished by hirudin. Thromboplastin also led to a rise in TAT complexes in plasma, again reflecting thrombin formation. This effect, however, was less important in P2Y1-knockout mice than in wild-type mice, indicating that less thrombin was generated in the absence of P2Y1. Similar results were obtained after intravenous administration of N6-methyl-2′-deoxyadenosine-3′:5′-bisphosphate, a selective antagonist of the P2Y1 receptor, to wild-type mice. ConclusionsOur results demonstrate a role of the P2Y1 receptor in thrombotic states involving thrombin generation and provide further evidence for the potential relevance of this receptor as a target for antithrombotic drugs.


Introduction Achieving adequate resection margins during oral cancer surgery is important to improve patient prognosis. Surgeons have the delicate task of achieving an adequate resection and safeguarding satisfactory remaining function and acceptable physical appearance, while relying on visual inspection, palpation, and preoperative imaging. Intraoperative assessment of resection margins (IOARM) is a multidisciplinary effort, which can guide towards adequate resections. Different forms of IOARM are currently used, but it is unknown how accurate these methods are in predicting margin status. Therefore, this review aims to investigate: 1) the IOARM methods currently used during oral cancer surgery, 2) their performance, and 3) their clinical relevance. Methods A literature search was performed in the following databases: Embase, Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar (from inception to January 23, 2020). IOARM performance was assessed in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in predicting margin status, and the reduction of inadequate margins. Clinical relevance (i.e., overall survival, local recurrence, regional recurrence, local recurrence-free survival, disease-specific survival, adjuvant therapy) was recorded if available. Results Eighteen studies were included in the review, of which 10 for soft tissue and 8 for bone. For soft tissue, defect-driven IOARM-studies showed the average accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 90.9%, 47.6%, and 84.4%, and specimen-driven IOARM-studies showed, 91.5%, 68.4%, and 96.7%, respectively. For bone, specimen-driven IOARM-studies performed better than defect-driven, with an average accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 96.6%, 81.8%, and 98%, respectively. For both, soft tissue and bone, IOARM positively impacts patient outcome. Conclusion IOARM improves margin-status, especially the specimen-driven IOARM has higher performance compared to defect-driven IOARM. However, this conclusion is limited by the low number of studies reporting performance results for defect-driven IOARM. The current methods suffer from inherent disadvantages, namely their subjective character and the fact that only a small part of the resection surface can be assessed in a short time span, causing sampling errors. Therefore, a solution should be sought in the field of objective techniques that can rapidly assess the whole resection surface.


The carbon nanotube/PMMA/PVAc composite film was prepared by solution casting. The carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphitized carbon nanotube (GCNT) were employed as conductive fillers in the composite films. The conductivity of the GCNT/PMMA/PVAc film is better than that of CNT/PMMA/PVAc film. The electrical percolation thresholds were at 5wt% and 2wt% respectively in the CNT/PMMA/PVAc film and GCNT/PMMA/PVAc film. The volume electric resistivities of CNT/PMMA/PVAc and GCNT/PMMA/PVAc composite film are at 0.044⋅m and 0.007⋅m respectively at 15wt% carbon nanotube. The significant difference of resistivity for the both types of composite film was due to different structure and crystallinity of CNT and GCNT.


Background Forgotten ureteral stents (FUS) and stent-related symptoms (SRS) lead to increased postprocedural emergency department visits and add to the psychological and financial burden of the patients. Purpose To review the usage and benefits of ureteral stent tracking and symptom monitoring through a single smartphone-based application (App) platform with 2-way clinician-patient communication. This study also compared the features with other smartphone apps used for stent tracking. Materials and Methods 100 patients were included in this single-center prospective study conducted between September 2019 and December 2019. Patients who had metallic or long-term indwelling stents, noncomprehensible patients, and those not willing to share their data were excluded from the study. Results Of 100 patients, 92 downloaded the Urostentz application, and 72 (78.2%) patients answered the pictorial symptom questionnaire. Symptom score analysis suggested that 62 patients (86.1%) had stent-related symptoms of which 3 required readmission and underwent early stent removal. The mean stent duration was 17.2 + 3.5 days (range: 11–23 days), with 69% of patients having their stent removed on the scheduled date and 25% of patients requesting a change of their appointment via the App. Conclusion In this study, there was no case of FUS encountered. The "Urostentz" App is a freely available patient safety stent tracking application that provides a secure and simplified interface, which can significantly reduce the incidence of FUS and provide digital remote assistance in the management of stent-related symptoms.


Signaling at the synapse Neurons signal to each other at synapses using neurotransmitters. Glutamate is a key neurotransmitter, and AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) mediate rapid responses to glutamate release. These receptors mainly occur as heteromers comprising GluA1-4 subunits. Herguedas et al. used electron microscopy and x-ray crystallography to determine the structure of GluA2/3 and GluA2/4 heteromers. The structures differ from those determined previously for GluA2 homomers but emphasize how signals may be transmitted through these dynamic receptors. Science, this issue p. 10.1126/science.aad3873 Crystal structures reveal organizational features of the central mediators of rapid neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. INTRODUCTION Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are cation channels that mediate signal transmission by depolarizing the postsynaptic membrane in response to L-glutamate release from the presynaptic neuron. There are three major iGluR subtypes, and together their activity is pivotal to learning and memory. The first subtype, the AMPA-type receptor (AMPAR), initiates signaling and activates the second subtype, the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), thereby admitting Ca2+ ions that drive synaptic plasticity and ultimately enabling learning. The rapid submillisecond response of the AMPAR permits accurate transmission of high-frequency presynaptic impulses. In the brain, AMPARs preferentially exist as heterotetramers composed of the GluA1 to GluA4 subunits in various combinations. Their signaling properties are dominated by the GluA2 subunit, which is present in the majority of AMPARs, yet the architecture and subunit arrangement of GluA2-containing AMPAR heteromers has thus far been elusive. RATIONALE So far, AMPAR structures have been limited to GluA2 homomers. We used a combination of x-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to obtain structural information for AMPAR heteromers. We first solved crystal structures of the N-terminal domain (NTD) layer, which constitutes the more sequence-diverse upper half of the receptor. Our structures of the GluA2/3 and GluA2/4 NTDs provide atomic resolution of the interface that initiates subunit assembly and reveal tetrameric arrangements in both of these heteromeric combinations that are distinct from known homomers. Cysteine cross-linking confirmed this architecture in full-length receptors and permitted us to determine cryo-EM structures of an intact GluA2/3 heteromer, which is a prominent variety in neural tissue. RESULTS In both GluA2/3 and GluA2/4 NTD crystal structures, the four subunits alternate around a central axis to create a compact O shape that deviates from the loose N shape commonly found in GluA2 homomers. Simulations suggest that the receptor can transition between these two states. Structure-guided cysteine mutants allowed us to trap receptors in the O state and facilitated further analysis by cryo-EM. The GluA2/3 receptor was captured in a ligand-free state and resulted in two models, determined at 8.2 and 10.3 Å. Both deviate from existing GluA2 homomer structures. Associated with the compact conformation of the NTD layer was a substantial vertical compression of the receptor heteromer, forming distinct interlayer interfaces. Contact points between the NTD and the ligand-binding domain (LBD) suggest that the NTD can contribute to signaling. We also observed a rearrangement of the gating machinery at the level of the LBD layer, and our results provide a structural snapshot of a desensitized receptor in the absence of agonist. Our data indicate that subunit placement in AMPAR tetramers is not strict, unlike in NMDARs, a finding that may extend the functional spectrum of heteromeric AMPARs. CONCLUSION The GluA2/3 structure and our simulations emphasize that AMPARs are dynamic complexes. The observed rearrangements of the extracellular region are expected to be of functional consequence in synaptic environments, where the NTD engages various interaction partners. Transitioning between N and O states could break existing contacts and make new ones, thereby affecting AMPAR clustering, a prerequisite for synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the vertical compression observed in GluA2/3 would permit crosstalk between the NTD and LBD, thus incorporating the NTD in allosteric regulation, as has been observed in NMDARs. The sequence-diverse AMPAR NTD, like that of NMDARs, may therefore offer a target for drug development—one that is as yet unexplored. Structure of a GluA2/3 AMPAR heteromer. A GluA2/3 heteromer (left) is shown with a GluA2 homomer (right) for comparison. The top panel shows the NTD layers of the compact O-shaped GluA2/3 and the loose N-shaped GluA2 [Protein Data Bank identifier (PDB ID) 3H5V], viewed from the top. The bottom panel shows full-length cryo-EM structures of GluA2/3 (ligand-free) and a GluA2 homomer (antagonist-bound; PDB ID 4UQJ). The difference in vertical packing between the NTD and LBD is indicated by arrows. AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs), which are central mediators of rapid neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity, predominantly exist as heteromers of the subunits GluA1 to GluA4. Here we report the first AMPAR heteromer structures, which deviate substantially from existing GluA2 homomer structures. Crystal structures of the GluA2/3 and GluA2/4 N-terminal domains reveal a novel compact conformation with an alternating arrangement of the four subunits around a central axis. This organization is confirmed by cysteine cross-linking in full-length receptors, and it permitted us to determine the structure of an intact GluA2/3 receptor by cryogenic electron microscopy. Two models in the ligand-free state, at resolutions of 8.25 and 10.3 angstroms, exhibit substantial vertical compression and close associations between domain layers, reminiscent of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Model 1 resembles a resting state and model 2 a desensitized state, thus providing snapshots of gating transitions in the nominal absence of ligand. Our data reveal organizational features of heteromeric AMPARs and provide a framework to decipher AMPAR architecture and signaling.


The problem of dynamic multicast routing and wavelength assignment (MC-RWA) in the wavelength-routed wavelength-division-multiplexing networks is addressed. Current solutions to this problem always rely on homogeneous network constructions. However, future backbone networks tend to be heterogeneous in nature. Thus, the dynamic MC-RWA problem should be studied in a more realistic situation by considering the heterogeneity of network structures. A new graph model is proposed for the MC-RWA problem. This model is based on layered auxiliary graph which is generic and able to support various node architectures and heterogeneous network structures. Based on this graph model, the dynamic MC-RWA problem can be simply solved by an efficient multicast tree algorithm on various light-splitting and wavelength-conversion scenarios. In general, this graph model provides a universal platform to study different aspects of the dynamic MC-RWA as well as related problems.


Abstract Pools provided by beaver (Castor canadensis) contribute to critical habitat requirements of salmonids in fluvial systems of the Pacific Northwest, therefore more land managers are interested in managing watersheds that include beavers or engaging in beaver-related restoration projects. We evaluated the utility of applying an existing beaver habitat suitability model to better understand beaver dam site characteristics in coastal Oregon, identify optimum dam site locations, and guide future beaver-related restoration efforts. We used a combination of t-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and a stepwise discriminant function analysis to examine stream habitat associations with field data collected at known and predicted dam sites at reach and pool/riffle levels. We found bank-full width, valley floor width, and channel gradient performed well in predicting dam locations across the Alsea River Basin. Known dam sites had wider valley floors, shallower shoreline slopes, and fewer larger, deeper pools than predicted sites. Overall, our results suggest the beaver habitat suitability model combined with a digital elevation model can be used to guide where beaver dams may occur within the Alsea River Basin, yet they do not capture fine scale habitat associations that may lead to a settling response in beavers. For example, presence of large deep pools may be necessary for beavers to escape predation before and during dam building. Results from our study may be used to prioritize potential dam sites in other coastal basins that have similar geomorphic characteristics.


This chapter argues that two variables should be considered in deciding the location of an industrial hub: 1) whether the industries in the hub require heavy infrastructure; and 2) whether workers and their families need a full urban environment. The second is as important as the first because a hub without a living environment that fits the needs of the workers and their families will have trouble attracting and retaining workers. Focusing on these two variables, we propose a two-by-two matrix with four ideal types of industrial hubs. They are: 1) industrial annex of metropolis; 2) industrial town; 3) metropolitan-immersed industrial hub; and 4) new industrial city. For each of these types, a South Korean example is provided.


ABSTRACT Giant viruses able to replicate in Acanthamoeba castellanii penetrate their host through phagocytosis. After capsid opening, a fusion between the internal membranes of the virion and the phagocytic vacuole triggers the transfer in the cytoplasm of the viral DNA together with the DNA repair enzymes and the transcription machinery present in the particles. In addition, the proteome analysis of purified mimivirus virions revealed the presence of many enzymes meant to resist oxidative stress and conserved in the Mimiviridae. Megavirus chilensis encodes a predicted copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD), an enzyme known to detoxify reactive oxygen species released in the course of host defense reactions. While it was thought that the metal ions are required for the formation of the active-site lid and dimer stabilization, megavirus chilensis SOD forms a very stable metal-free dimer. We used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and activity measurements to show that the supplementation of the bacterial culture with copper and zinc during the recombinant expression of Mg277 is sufficient to restore a fully active holoenzyme. These results demonstrate that the viral enzyme's activation is independent of a chaperone both for disulfide bridge formation and for copper incorporation and suggest that its assembly may not be as regulated as that of its cellular counterparts. A SOD protein is encoded by a variety of DNA viruses but is absent from mimivirus. As in poxviruses, the enzyme might be dispensable when the virus infects Acanthamoeba cells but may allow megavirus chilensis to infect a broad range of eukaryotic hosts. IMPORTANCE Mimiviridae are giant viruses encoding more than 1,000 proteins. The virion particles are loaded with proteins used by the virus to resist the vacuole's oxidative stress. The megavirus chilensis virion contains a predicted copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD). The corresponding gene is present in some megavirus chilensis relatives but is absent from mimivirus. This first crystallographic structure of a viral Cu,Zn-SOD highlights the features that it has in common with and its differences from cellular SODs. It corresponds to a very stable dimer of the apo form of the enzyme. We demonstrate that upon supplementation of the growth medium with Cu and Zn, the recombinant protein is fully active, suggesting that the virus's SOD activation is independent of a copper chaperone for SOD generally used by eukaryotic SODs.


The area of digital communications has undergone a significant transformation in the last ten years due largely to the discovery of turbo codes. The "turbo" concept can be applied to more than just forward error-correction (FEC) schemes. For example, waveforms developed for the high frequency (HF) band typically place an interleaver between the FEC scheme and the transmitted symbols. The purpose of this interleaver is to decorrelate the errors caused by slow fading multipath channels encountered on HF. If no interleaver were used, most FEC schemes would become ineffective (e.g. convolutional codes). The "turbo" concept can be applied to HF waveforms which employ an interleaver by iteratively exchanging soft information between the equalizer and the FEC decoder. This paper investigates the possible performance improvements of applying this technique to a family of high data rate HF waveforms defined in NATO STANAG 4539. Different data rates and interleaver sizes are simulated on a variety of channels to determine the benefits. Instead of standard bit error rate performance curves, block error rate curves are provided since most modern day applications send groups of bits (packets) and expect each group to be received error free. Following this, latency and computational complexity are discussed to assess the feasibility and benefits of applying this technique to improve on-air performance of HF systems.


LWW Records Stoller's Contribution in Shoulder Imaging. The Print Only version does not include the Stoller Notes, Stoller Lecture Videos or PubMed Links. These features are only included in The Shoulder Package. Stoller's Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine: The Shoulder (Print Only) has complied over 25 years of trailblazing shoulder research and clinical experience into one comprehensive must have volume. This book will take readers through two decades of the most important developments in shoulder imaging: benchmark development of the ABER technique; the description of the IGLLC complex and BLC complex; description of the "J" sign and first MR images of the HAGL lesion; MR description of the anterior band of the inferior glenohumeral ligament; MR findings of the throwing athlete including thickened posterior band and adaptive changes of glenoid fossa; new perspective on partial rotator cuff tears including the role of the coracohumeral ligament and the superior glenohumeral ligament complex; pattern recognition of SLAP tears based on coronal images of the BLC; description of type 1, 2, and 3 BLC complexes; criteria for adhesive capsulitis on MR and MDI findings on MRI. Access this essential wealth of knowledge along with the most extensive cadaver MR correlation in the country to hone your skills as an imaging expert. In order to organize this inclusive collection of imaging information from the foremost authority in the subject, a new format consisting of a bulleted text and image rich layout provides for rapid understanding and easy access. New features include: one of the most comprehensive collections of color illustrations of orthopaedic pathoanatomy; the proven stoller checklist approach to MR joint interpretation for accurate and reproducible image interpretation; key concepts to emphasize and reinforce critical information throughout a chapter; detailed and comprehensive figure legends that not only describe an image, but provide information and novel concepts about a disorder; 3T and high resolution MR images; introductory section on Practical Guide to Shoulder Imaging outlines the key factors to advanced imaging diagnostics and arthroscopy and surgical correlation. This version does not include the Stoller Notes, Stoller Lecture Videos or PubMed Links that are included in the Enhanced Edition.


The asymptotic probability distribution of the mutual information of a separately correlated Rician fading multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel is addressed. The mean and variance of the mutual information are derived when the number of transmit and receive antennas grows asymptotically large while their ratio approaches a finite constant. This derivation is based on the replica method, widely used in theoretical physics and, more recently, in the analysis of communication systems (code-division multiple access (CDMA) and MIMO). Though the replica method allows to analyze complex systems in a comparatively simple way, some authors pointed out that its assumptions are not always rigorous. It is shown that the mutual information converges asymptotically to a Gaussian distribution under mild technical conditions, which are tantamount to assuming that the spatial correlation structure has no asymptotically dominant eigenmodes. The accuracy of the asymptotic approach is assessed by numerical results. It is shown that the approximation is very accurate in a wide range of system settings, even when the number of transmit and receive antennas is as small as a few units.


The purpose of this review is to present the state-of-the-art in dynamic fracture testing methods and fracture behaviour of rock materials. The review begins by briefly introducing the history of rock dynamic fracture and explaining the significance of studying these issues. The split Hopkinson pressure bar technique is widely used and the major development for rock materials is briefly summarized. An in-depth description and evaluation of various dynamic testing methods are presented in Section 2. In Section 3, dynamic fracture behaviour of rock materials is reviewed and discussed in detail. Dynamic fracture parameters are obtained by quantitative assessments of testing methods, and controlling factors and failure patterns are also discussed to validate these properties. Fracture toughness and fracture behaviour change with loading rate, in particular, the responses distinguishably change after loading rate exceeds a critical value. Dynamic testing methods should be carefully examined and satisfied the fundamental of theory, such as the distribution of dynamic stress, stress equilibrium and failure patterns.


The mobile market is frequently described as an ecosystem where powerful companies generate value from continuously harvesting and distributing data. In this article, we advance the ecological metaphor through both theoretical conceptualizations and empirical explorations of the contemporary app ecosystem. We thereby contribute to the emergent field of app studies by critically scrutinizing the political economy of mobile communication. The article identifies the prime infrastructural resources that ground appbased communication (devices, operating systems, app stores, apps, third-party services, and data accesses) and their ownership structures to discuss how power is obtained, exercised, and amplified in the app ecosystem. To illustrate the value of the theoretical approach, we provide a critical asset analysis of Google LLC (Alphabet, Inc.) and discuss its position as an invasive species in the app ecosystem.


Ship engineroom fire is one of the most common and serious disasters in shipwrecks. It has become a hotspot of research to use water mist system to extinguish engineroom fire efficiently in the ship fire fighting field. In this paper, using Fluent to simulate water mist suppressing engineroom fire on the conditions of different fire scales, droplet diameters, spray cone angles and spray pressures. Research indicates that: large scale fires are more easily suppressed than small scale fires by water mist in the enclosure engineroom; the droplets of water mist should be neither too big nor too small, or else it would go against fire fighting. It is pointed out that the droplets should be in the range of 200 μm to 400 μm; the smaller cone angle nozzle can guarantee a high flame cooling effect; the increase of spray pressure can enhance the flame cooling effect, but probably of only marginal help in reducing the oxygen content.


Ceramic coatings were produced on magnesium (Mg) alloy of AZ91D for biomaterial applications by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and electrodeposition methods. The morphology, microstructure, phase composition and corrosion properties of the prepared coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and potentiodynamic polarization tester, etc. The results indicated that a porous oxide layer was grown on the Mg alloy sheets after MAO process and the compositions of oxides were mainly Mg2SiO4 and MgO. After further electrodeposition and alkaline treatment, a flake-like structure diverging from centre to periphery was grown on the MAO coating and the coating was mainly made up of hydroxyapatite (HA). Moreover, the corrosion resistance of the Mg alloy after being treated with MAO and electrodeposition technique increases obviously, which was evaluated in stimulated body fluid (SBF).


Securing off-chip main memory is essential for protection from adversaries with physical access to systems. However, current secure-memory designs incur considerable performance overheads – a major cause being the multiple memory accesses required for traversing an integrity-tree, that provides protection against man-in-the-middle attacks or replay attacks. In this paper, we provide a scalable solution to this problem by proposing a compact integrity tree design that requires fewer memory accesses for its traversal. We enable this by proposing new storage-efficient representations for the counters used for encryption and integrity-tree in secure memories. Our Morphable Counters are more cacheable on-chip, as they provide more counters per cacheline than existing split counters. Additionally, they incur lower overheads due to counter-overflows, by dynamically switching between counter representations based on usage pattern. We show that using Morphable Counters enables a 128-ary integrity-tree, that can improve performance by 6.3% on average (up to 28.3%) and reduce system energy-delay product by 8.8% on average, compared to an aggressive baseline using split counters with a 64-ary integrity-tree. These benefits come without any additional storage or reduction in security and are derived from our compact counter representation, that reduces the integrity-tree size for a 16GB memory from 4MB in the baseline to 1MB. Compared to recently proposed VAULT, our design provides a speedup of 13.5% on average (up to 47.4%).


Objective: To compare the incidence, maternal and fetal outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus using one step vs. two step as a screening procedure. Methodology: A prospective randomized trial involving screening of 1000 pregnant women for gestational diabetes mellitus was conducted. Women were divided in two groups (500 each). Group A comprised of patients screened with two step approach (ACOG recommendation), Group B comprised of women screened by one step method (IADPSG criteria). Women diagnosed with 'gestational diabetes' were followed in antenatal clinic and incidence of GDM, maternal and fetal outcome between two groups were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The incidence of GDM was almost double using one step approach versus two step which was 19.2% and 11.8% respectively. Maternal outcomes were comparable in both the groups except the risk of preterm delivery which was 2.5 times more in group A than group B (odds ratio = 2.43 95% CI = 1.01-5.79). Further fetal outcomes were also comparable except neonatal hypoglycemia which was seen in 29.31% in group A vs. 7.4% in group B. In the group B 15 patients (15.8%) patients with GDM (based on FBS ≥92 mg/dl at 1st ANC visit) showed clinical symptoms & blood sugars in hypoglycemic range on MNT requiring resumption of normal diet. Conclusion: The incidence of GDM using IADPSG criteria was almost double versus ACOG criteria. Maternal and fetal outcomes were comparable except in 15.8% women diagnosed as GDM (using FBS ≥92 mg/dl at 1st ANC visit as per IADPSG) suffered from hypoglycemia. A large trial is being proposed before these criteria are adopted.


The purpose of the study was to evaluate number of hospitalizations, length of stay, exercise routine, and patient satisfaction following attendance at a pulmonary rehabilitative program. A retrospective chart review and survey conducted on 72 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease showed a significant decrease in number of hospitalizations and length of stay following attendance at the program. In addition, 72% of the subjects continued to carry out an exercise routine and 99% indicated that the rehabilitation program had met their expectations. This study suggests that the pulmonary rehabilitative program was cost-effective.